Assessment of Air Quality Index of Coimbatore City in Tamil Nadu

Background/Objectives: The prime objective of this work is to study the condition and quality of the air in Coimbatore city by measuring Air Quality Index (AQI) and to compare the measured values with standard values. This work also examines the variation of ambient air quality with various climatic conditions. Methods/Statistical Analysis: The quality of air was determined based on National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). This was carried out based on measuring four major air pollutants such as PM10, PM2.5, SO2 and NO2 at different climate conditions during January 2015 to December 2015. Respirable Dust Sampler (RDS) and Fine Particulate Sampler were used to determine PM10 and PM2.5 respectively. Findings: The present work shows its significance because there is no such data available for researchers for reference. Industrial (foundry units) and automobile emissions are the major pollution source which determines the quality of ambient air in the city. Among the different climatic conditions, summer exhibits more pollution level in the air while monsoon exhibits less pollution level. Results also reveals that the Industrial area experiencing more pollutants followed by commercial and residential areas. As per the AQI category, all locations are coming under moderate category except industrial location which requires stringent control measures to reduce the particulate matters in the air. Applications: Since no data is available for the Air Quality Index study of the region, this can be taken as a reference for future study.